Just a Useful Pawn in the Stain Sect

Star Monarch Qinghe was not very surprised.

Zhu Xuanhao, on the other hand, was completely stunned when he was ejected. His face was a mask of shock and fury, and he instinctively reached up to feel his head after escaping.

"Is my head still on?"

This wasn’t a question born from panic, but one of genuine uncertainty. Heaven and Earth as his witness, in that last moment, he truly couldn’t tell if his head was still attached to his body!

He had long anticipated the Immortal Core Demon’s strength; after all, the reputation of the Emperor Fruit, the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood, was renowned even in the Star Palace. But the power the Ang Xiao Liu Ying ultimately displayed completely shattered Zhu Xuanhao’s expectations. He hadn’t even managed to land a single counterattack!

How had he even engaged in Combat just now?

The battle began, and he just stood there in a daze. He struggled with all his might to regain his senses, only to find he was on the verge of death... What the hell was there to fight?

"How can the gap be this big..."

Zhu Xuanhao was in disbelief. They both possessed Emperor Fruits; could the Cyan Dragon Star really be that much weaker than the Fruit of Great-Forest Wood? Or was he simply not the Immortal Core Demon’s equal?

At this thought, he couldn’t help but look up at Star Monarch Qinghe.

"Master... Is the Human World broken?"

After all, it just didn’t add up. Perhaps the stats were entered incorrectly. Otherwise, since they both possessed Emperor Fruits, how could the Immortal Core Demon possibly be so much stronger?

But if the stats weren’t wrong, and the Immortal Core Demon was truly just that unreasonably powerful, then the problem was even more severe. Why would the Human World allow such a mighty Perfected Lord in, letting him run rampant through its trials? The rules must have been completely broken by now.

"You lost?"

Star Monarch Qinghe shook his head. "Losing is normal. You just had your breakthrough. That beast in the Human World obviously has a higher level of Cultivation than you."

"I’d be more surprised if you had won. The fact that you made it back alive is impressive enough."

"Is that so?"

Zhu Xuanhao let out a sudden sigh of relief and thought, ’Well, that’s a relief. He was the one fighting dirty, so it’s perfectly understandable that I lost...’

’That’s right, I just had my breakthrough!’

’I still have a ton of potential!’

’And compared to me, that Liu Ying in the Human World can’t get any stronger. As long as I cultivate diligently, I’ll be able to defeat it sooner or later!’

Then, Star Monarch Qinghe continued,

"So, the important thing isn’t that you didn’t win. It’s that you successfully attained the Cyan Dragon Star... which means you can now bring others in with you."

Zhu Xuanhao froze at his words. "Others? Who do you mean?"

Star Monarch Qinghe sneered. "Have Star Monarchs at the Middle Stage of Golden Core challenge it. We’ll fight above our weight class. It’s what they call learning the enemy’s strengths to defeat them!"

"I see..."

Upon hearing this, a thought suddenly occurred to Zhu Xuanhao:

’If we do that, won’t I lose out?’

’If I bring a Star Monarch at the Middle Stage of Golden Core in there and they actually beat that Immortal Core Demon, wouldn’t the great opportunity in the Human World have nothing to do with me?’

’Anything but that!’

At this realization, Zhu Xuanhao could barely contain his true thoughts:

’Immortal Core Demon... you’d damn well better keep winning!’

As the saying goes: better a Daoist friend dies than the poor Daoist. The Demon’s victory was certainly infuriating and humiliating, but the prospect of his teammates’ failure was quite reassuring.

As for the great opportunity in the Human World?

If someone else got something I couldn’t have, it would be a hundred times more painful than just not getting it myself. It would be better if no one got it at all!

Thinking this, Zhu Xuanhao hurriedly lowered his head.

However, Star Monarch Qinghe seemed to see right through him, chuckling softly. "Don’t worry. That’s merely the last resort."

"Before we get to that, I have another method."

"Really?" Zhu Xuanhao’s head snapped up.

"Of course."

Star Monarch Qinghe said calmly, "From what I’ve observed of that Immortal Core Demon’s style, he’s almost certainly from the Stain Sect. That type of Demon values personal gain above all else."

"And when personal gain is involved, everything is negotiable."

"Before, our people were killed instantly before we could even start a conversation. But now that you can survive an encounter with it, we have something to bargain with."

With that, he pulled a Jade Stone that twinkled with starlight from his robes. "This item is called the Jiaoxu Celestial Gate Star Core. It is a Supreme Treasure refined from a Horned Wood Jiao and is considered an Upper Grade Dharma Embryo. Take this with you to negotiate. I predict that Immortal Core Demon will definitely be tempted."

Zhu Xuanhao carefully took the Jade Stone and asked curiously,

"Why is that...? Please enlighten me, Master."

"It’s simple."

Star Monarch Qinghe smiled. "Because this treasure can help those remnants in the Human World to coalesce a physical body, allowing them to take the first step in escaping the control of the rules!"

"Those remnants are all conscious."

"Since they are conscious, how could they be willing to be trapped for all eternity within a Secret Realm, unable to find release? Almost all of the remnants want to be free."

"Unless you had already achieved Dao Heart Perfection, with your true self firm and unshakeable, before becoming a Liu Ying, it is almost inevitable that the remnant will choose to betray its original body. It’s just that under normal circumstances, there is no way for them to do so. This Jiaoxu Celestial Gate Star Core can give these remnants a sliver of a chance."

"Therefore, the Immortal Core Demon’s remnant will surely be tempted!"

At this, Star Monarch Qinghe proudly stroked his beard, feeling that his plans were truly flawless and that he knew how to be flexible in his dealings.

After all, why resort to fighting and killing when a problem can be solved with Money?

The Immortal Core Demon Dao has never had a bottom line when it comes to profit. With the vast resources of our Star Palace, what’s so difficult about winning its favor? In any case, our Star Palace has mountains of gold and silver.

More than we could ever spend!

Meanwhile, after hearing Star Monarch Qinghe’s explanation, Zhu Xuanhao nodded in conviction. "As expected of you, Master. This is an excellent method!"

But his brow quickly furrowed again, and he glanced cautiously at Star Monarch Qinghe. "Then... will you be coming with me to negotiate, Master?"

"There’s no need for me to go."

Star Monarch Qinghe sighed. "I know my own limits. The Early Stage of Golden Core is my limit; I have no hope of breaking through to the Mid-phase in this lifetime."

"So I’m giving this opportunity to you."

"I only hope that you seize this opportunity, so that one day, when my life comes to an end, you can guide me back onto the path of the Immortal Dao. That would make our time as master and disciple well worth it."

At these words, Zhu Xuanhao’s eyes immediately reddened.

"Rest assured, Master. I will not fail the trust you’ve placed in me!"

While making his solemn vow, he also breathed a silent sigh of relief. ’Good thing Master isn’t planning to compete with me for it. Otherwise, I’d have had to uphold justice and forsake our kinship...’

When it came to one’s own Dao path, there was no room for sentimentality.

Although the Immortal Core Demon Dao was rampant and morally bankrupt, when it came to such crucial matters of right and wrong, Zhu Xuanhao felt that the Immortal Pivot philosophy still had its merits.

Soon, with the Jiaoxu Celestial Gate Star Core in hand, he returned to the Human World.